[mainguy]

3) Bowers & Wilkins PX8 - I don't have much to say on this headphone as you can read what I wrote about the PX7 S2 below to understand most of my thoughts on this headphone. The PX8 is a more detailed, resolving, cleaner PX7 S2 to my ears. It pretty much has the same characteristics as the PX7 S2 in being a big, fun, live concert type headphone, it just does it in a more grown up way. I will say that I personally put the PX8 a tier below the 5909 and Bathys when it comes to pure sound quality, something that's not very popular on the PX8 thread . I just feel those 2 headphones are more resolving, accurate, and detailed. There are many who prefer the PX8 to all others and it's easy for me to see why.

Indeed we don't, and Ive come from the PX8 thread to shut this dogma down!

Kidding. Thanks for this writeup man, it's great to see so many headphones compared and the MW75 in the mix. You mention MW75 has the 5909 driver, could you not find a way to EQ it very close to the 5909 then?

 

[joscejrod]

Increíble work man. I want to buy a really good pair of wireless headphones, but being fully in Apple ecosystem and with Airpods Max 2 maybe around the corner it’s really hard to decide.

I imagine Apple is not going to wait a lot to introduce its latest H2 chip to their flagship, but who knows…and if Apple make an improvement in Airpods Max 2 in line with Pro 2 overhaul, they could become the best of the best for Iphones.

 

[Maukey]

Indeed we don't, and Ive come from the PX8 thread to shut this dogma down!

Kidding. Thanks for this writeup man, it's great to see so many headphones compared and the MW75 in the mix. You mention MW75 has the 5909 driver, could you not find a way to EQ it very close to the 5909 then?

Thanks mainguy! Your write-up is well done as well.

As far as EQ, I'm not a big EQ guy. I'm one who likes to get a headphone and enjoy the presentation as presented. Now that doesn't mean I won't ever play around with the EQ, it's just for the MW75, I like the fun, dynamic sound it offers and didn't really feel the need to try and see how close it could get to the 5909 since I owned those as well. But you do make a good point and I will try and play around with the EQ to see if possible. I no longer own the 5909 as the Bathys replaced those, but I will go off of memory. With the tone being so close to the 5909, I can't imagine why you couldn't get at least close to the analytical sound of the 5909, minus the bigger sound stage of course.

 

[seanjoe]

anyone who said APM sound quality better than H95, then I'll skip their comments and will never read their comments anymore.

 

[Maukey]

anyone who said APM sound quality better than H95, then I'll skip their comments and will never read their comments anymore.

Not sure who you're referring to as I stated in my comparison that I rank the AirPods Max and H95 pretty equal, just with different tunings. It comes down to preference for me between the two, and I prefer the AirPods Max. Does that mean you will never read my comments again? I guess if you don't respond I have my answer.

 

[Gweeds]

It's almost like we all have our own ears and preferences.

 

[Ilomaenkimi]

Not sure who you're referring to as I stated in my comparison that I rank the AirPods Max and H95 pretty equal, just with different tunings. It comes down to preference for me between the two, and I prefer the AirPods Max. Does that mean you will never read my comments again? I guess if you don't respond I have my answer.

Max leaks music out more than H95(too much), reason why i sold my Max. H95 is more comfortable in my opinion. In my opinion H95 was more "relaxed".
I think i prefef H95 over Max, difficult to say.
I dont't own either anymore, APP 2 is my wireless now. It gives pretty good sound and it's very comfortable and handy as everyday life.
Jabra Elite 85h i have as a "backup headphone".

For serious listening i have wired headphones.

Edit: as i have listened APP2 now for 2 days, I'm starting to think what is the function of MAX now? APP 2 is so good that MAX is in a way "useless", big and clumsy.
Leaks sound to your surroundings.
SQ is not so much ahead from APP2. And APP2 is 299euros.

 

[mainguy]

Max leaks music out more than H95(too much), reason why i sold my Max. H95 is more comfortable in my opinion. In my opinion H95 was more "relaxed".
I think i prefef H95 over Max, difficult to say.
I dont't own either anymore, APP 2 is my wireless now. It gives pretty good sound and it's very comfortable and handy as everyday life.
Jabra Elite 85h i have as a "backup headphone".

For serious listening i have wired headphones.

Edit: as i have listened APP2 now for 2 days, I'm starting to think what is the function of MAX now? APP 2 is so good that MAX is in a way "useless", big and clumsy.
Leaks sound to your surroundings.
SQ is not so much ahead from APP2. And APP2 is 299euros.

Over ear drivers always give a different experience to in-ear. Most people tend to find over ears more impressive, this is simply due to the cavity and driver size. But if you like iems I can absolutely see why APP2 would make Max redundant, they do most of the same stuff, albeit they're less detailed sound wise in the treble region. APP2 don't do great with things like cymbals imo, APM handles them better.

 

[mainguy]

Increíble work man. I want to buy a really good pair of wireless headphones, but being fully in Apple ecosystem and with Airpods Max 2 maybe around the corner it’s really hard to decide.

I imagine Apple is not going to wait a lot to introduce its latest H2 chip to their flagship, but who knows…and if Apple make an improvement in Airpods Max 2 in line with Pro 2 overhaul, they could become the best of the best for Iphones.

I'd be pretty darn amazed if Apple made a headphone to compete with Bathys/PX8/5909. I'd wager Airpods Max 2 will use a very similar driver, as they'll likely keep the same build - the tooling to make those headphones must've been a fortune given the build quality, and they have no real reason to change the housing. So expect a similar driver. But maybe they'll work some magic, who knows. I hope so, I'd much rather have Bathys/PX8 sound with Apple connectivity and controls.

 

[Maukey]

Max leaks music out more than H95(too much), reason why i sold my Max. H95 is more comfortable in my opinion. In my opinion H95 was more "relaxed".
I think i prefef H95 over Max, difficult to say.
I dont't own either anymore, APP 2 is my wireless now. It gives pretty good sound and it's very comfortable and handy as everyday life.
Jabra Elite 85h i have as a "backup headphone".

For serious listening i have wired headphones.

Edit: as i have listened APP2 now for 2 days, I'm starting to think what is the function of MAX now? APP 2 is so good that MAX is in a way "useless", big and clumsy.
Leaks sound to your surroundings.
SQ is not so much ahead from APP2. And APP2 is 299euros.

I respect your opinion. There are many well respected members of this community that share your opinion. I loved the H95 during my time with them. I actually owned them and the AirPods Max for a good while. I felt they were different enough to both remain in my collection. It's mainly the treble tone that I have an issue with. Really pulls me out of the music at times, especially when a lot of cymbals are involved. Also, something I don't think I mentioned in my comparison, they're right behind the ML 5909 as the quietest headphone on the list. I didn't make it a big deal because it met my preferred minimum loudness threshold. In other words, I can always get the volume I need even though at times I'd have to be near max. Other than that, I loved them. I even state in my comparison that if I wasn't 95% Apple ecosystem, I'd choose the H95 over the AirPods Max hands down.

 

[tyk103]

I'd be pretty darn amazed if Apple made a headphone to compete with Bathys/PX8/5909. I'd wager Airpods Max 2 will use a very similar driver, as they'll likely keep the same build - the tooling to make those headphones must've been a fortune given the build quality, and they have no real reason to change the housing. So expect a similar driver. But maybe they'll work some magic, who knows. I hope so, I'd much rather have Bathys/PX8 sound with Apple connectivity and controls.

Airpods Ultra

"You're going to just love it...." -Tim Apple

I hope the next APMs aren't so heavy handed on the DSP side and with some real functional buttons (on/off would be nice).

 

[Maukey]

It's almost like we all have our own ears and preferences.

Facts. It's ok, I don't prefer this thread to become a home for brand fanboys anyway. It won't hurt my feelings one bit if he stays away. I'm someone who loves and appreciates many of the wireless anc headphones. I never own just one and typically have 4 or 5 in my home. One of the reasons I started this thread is to show others that you can appreciate many different headphones while still having your own preferences and favorites. The Sony 1000XM5 sounds really mediocre to my ears after experience with headphones like the 5909, Bathys, PX8, and MW75, it doesn't mean that I can't appreciate the fact that it's one of kind when it comes to technology and features in a headphone. Despite the hate it gets for its sound quality, I never experienced app issues, bluetooth range issues, or anything during my time with them. All of the features like quick attention and speak to chat really make sense in the right situations. As I stated, they'd be the holy grail of headphones if the sound was a couple tiers higher.

This may sound harsh, but I've learned in my experience on this site that most of the fanboyism comes from people who are trying to decide between one headphone, and they have the human need to validate the decision they made. Any opposing opinion to their own tends to strike a nerve even if they are unaware. This causes them to magnify what really are minor flaws in a competing brand and spend a great deal of time arguing against these opposing opinions. You don't see this as much from those who own more than one.

 

[ryanmatic]

Could not agree more.

I’ve owned 8 different pairs of wireless over-ear headphones since I first picked up the B&W P7W back in 2016 (!), I think… and honestly I’ve enjoyed them all, with only one exception. They’ve all presented very different takes on music I know by heart, but that’s kind of the allure of picking up a new headphone when it comes out. Trying to find one single pair that does everything I want it to is silly given how much I care about subtle differences in sound, ergonomics, versatility, etc. Everyone has their preferences and if there’s anything that keeps traffic flowing on this forum, it’s the fact that those preferences are unique.

The good news is that the state of technology today is such that there are a lot of really solid options out there, which this comparisons thread thoroughly highlights

 

[Maukey]

Could not agree more.

I’ve owned 8 different pairs of wireless over-ear headphones since I first picked up the B&W P7W back in 2016 (!), I think… and honestly I’ve enjoyed them all, with only one exception. They’ve all presented very different takes on music I know by heart, but that’s kind of the allure of picking up a new headphone when it comes out. Trying to find one single pair that does everything I want it to is silly given how much I care about subtle differences in sound, ergonomics, versatility, etc. Everyone has their preferences and if there’s anything that keeps traffic flowing on this forum, it’s the fact that those preferences are unique.

The good news is that the state of technology today is such that there are a lot of really solid options out there, which this comparisons thread thoroughly highlights

You my friend are my twin. I couldn't have said it better myself

 

[FlyingFungus]

I had the brief pleasure of listening to both the B&W Px8 and the Focal Bathys. For wireless headphones, they sound amazing!

I think I ever so slightly preferred the Bathys from a sound quality perspective but actually found the B&W more comfortable for my head. The Bathys were by no means uncomfortable, especially the ear cups, but I found the top head band to be harder than the B&W. I was wearing a hat.

I think the Px8 were slightly more fun sounding to my ears while the Bathys were more detailed and revealing. Pairing them to my phone were both simple. Didn't get to try the 5909 as they didn't have a demo unit to try. But either way thoroughly impressed.

I'll be happy with my px7 s2 when they arrive. I would go for the Px8 but it's more money than I'm willing to spend right now. But who knows what next year brings.